Energy Management

Lighting Retrofit Audits / Light Fixtures

Crites Tidey will provide a complete re-light project, turn the lights on and save.

We will make recommendations for a smooth project that will minimize impact on your daily operations including:

• Evaluation of existing lighting system
• Calculate current lighting cost and energy savings
• Recommend best lighting solutions and strategy to save energy, improve operations/quality/safety
• Research local utility rebates
• Proper fixture and lamp selection for specific lighting requirements
• Recommendations for Motion Sensors and Controls (on-off control or dimming in specified areas)
• Working with contractors or maintenance staff on project installation to satisfy your specific needs.
• Federal Energy Saving Tax Incentive – assist with EPACT process to provide proper documentation

www.cooperlighting.com

www.consumersenergy.com/eeprograms

Lighting Controls

Retrofitting metal halide hi-bay fixtures to fluorescent hi-bay fixtures can generate energy cost savings of about 50 percent. How does reducing the resulting energy consumption by another 30+ percent sound— This is made possible by switching to fluorescent technology and incorporating OCCUPANCY SENSING controls.

Crites Tidey’s Energy Management department has the solution for:

• Full building automation (offices, warehouse, manufacturing space, site lighting, etc)
• Individual fixture or entire area control
• Wireless solutions for difficult retrofit or “out-of-the-box” thinking

www.leviton.com/esco

Epact

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 created the Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction, which allows building owners to deduct the entire cost of a lighting upgrade in the year the equipment is placed in service, subject to a cap.

To qualify, EPAct 2005 and IRS Notice 2006-52 state:

• the project must be certified to reduce lighting power density by 25-40% less (50% if a warehouse) than the maximum allowable levels in ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2001
• the project must be part of a new construction or renovation project within the scope of ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1-2001—including retrofits

And:

• any new control devices installed as direct replacements of existing control devices must comply with the space control requirements in ASHRAE/IESNA 90.1 sections 9.2.1.2(a) and 9.2.1.2(c); an exception is made for alterations that replace less than 50% of the light fixtures in a space, which need not comply provided that the alterations do not increase the installed interior lighting power (be sure to carefully read the “lighting alterations” provisions in Section 4.1.2.2.5 as well as all of Section 9 of 90.1);
• bi-level switching must be installed in all occupancies except hotel and motel guest rooms, store rooms, restrooms, public lobbies and garages (garages were added by IRS Notice 2008-40); and
• the project must achieve minimum recommended calculated light levels as established in the Ninth Edition of the IES Lighting Handbook.

Bi-level Switching Explained

EPAct 2005 does not define bi-level switching. NEMA defines it as manual or automatic control (or a combination thereof) that provides at least two levels of illumination and power in the space besides OFF, which can include the addition of controllable task lighting. The International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) defines it as a manual control allowing occupants to reduce connected lighting load in a “reasonably uniform illumination pattern by at least 50%.” Recognized methods include:

1. controlling all lamps and fixtures (e.g., continuous or step dimming),
2. dual switching alternate rows, fixtures or lamps,
3. switching middle lamp independent of outer lamps in 3-lamp fixtures, providing three levels of lighting power, and
4. switching each fixture or each lamp. Be sure to check the appropriate local and state energy code, which may define what is accepted as bi-level switching.

A tax deduction is a cost subtracted from adjusted gross income when calculating taxable income; tax liability is not reduced dollar for dollar, as is the case with a tax credit, but instead in proportion to the taxpayer’s tax bracket.